The Neverland Chronicles Book 1: Samantha of Neverland
by DORK DOG
Summary: When Peter Pan sets foot into Sam's life, she knows she will never be the same again. But will her new-found protector be enough to save her life? Rated T just to be safe.
1. Prologue

**Hey all! DORK DOG here with my first fic ever! Hope you like it! Oh, and for those who review, you will be rewarded with a sneek peek of what is to come! R&R!**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Not all stories have a "Happily Ever After" at the end. Indeed, many real-to-life realistic stories do not.

Therefore, if you plan on reading the following story to a beloved youngster in your life, thinking it will be a "fun adventure", I suggest you think again. Seriously. The main character IS the famous Peter Pan, yet is not intended to be a warm and fuzzy children's bedtime story filled with flying boys and fairies. This is a tale full of swords, blood, and battles. Therefore, if you are looking for an entertaining, fast-paced quest, please continue

Certainly, most have heard-tell of the great classic story of Peter Pan and Wendy Darling The following pages center around a lonely orphaned girl named Samantha, also known as Sam. Unbeknownst to Sam, since she has never known her birth parents, she is Wendy's great-granddaughter. Sam has always been teased for being an orphan.

In the fore mentioned adventure, I am sure you recall that Captain Hook was eaten by the Ticking Crocodile. Sadly, when that beast found the Captain's hook indigestible he spit the trinket out on the beach. From there, it was discovered by a new recruit of Peter's Lost Boy gang, named Charlie. Young Charlie had not yet heard of that ugly old Hook, so he no clue of the real treasure he had found.

Charlie began playing Pirate with his treasured hook. He played it so often that he started to fancy himself a pirate. Eventually, Charlie's favorite game became his reality obviously, that created a problem. Once you are a Pirate, you can never be a Lost Boy again.

One day, Charlie got in a heated quarrel with Peter Pan. Charlie became so frustrated, he began swing the hook and slashed Peter's right arm. In turn, Peter chopped off Charlie's left hand and tossed it out to the same ticking crocodile that devoured Captain Hook.

"There," said Peter, clutching his injured arm to his chest. "Now, Charlie, you are truly a pirate! You are as cruel as that horrible pirate whose hook you carry.

Thus Charlie was banished, and became known as Captain Charles Claw, or just plain Claw for short. He quickly grew to be a man, and became more fearsome than Hook himself. Ironically, he was also pursued by that same ugly crocodile. Eventually, Claw heard the tale of Wendy and Peter. Being set on revenge toward Peter for the loss of his hand, Charlie decided to he would kidnap a girl from Earth to use as bait to trap Peter. Sam was the girl he chose, though she did not know it yet.

This is where our story begins…..


	2. Chapter 1: The Boy

**Hey all! Thanks to all who reviewed/favorited this story! Please keep them coming! Because I made a deal with one of my family members, I will probably only be posting chapters one at a time. And also, between school, church, and dance practice, I haven't had much time/inspiration to write. Hope you like this new chapter!  
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**Disclaimer: Since I forgot to put this in the Prologue, I own nothing except my OC's. The rest of them belong to J.M. Barrie, or rather, the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. However, I am SUPER happy that everyone likes my new villain!  
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**P.S.: Peter's appearance is a mix between Neverland, the 2003 version, both Disney movies, and my own imagination. **

**Chapter One:**

**The Boy**

"Samantha Brown, would you like to tell me who the First Secretary of the Treasury was?"

Sam jerked her eyes off her paper. She knew she would get in trouble if Mrs. Jones saw her drawing doodles in the margins of her notebook. Frantically pushing her long brown hair out of her dark eyes, the thirteen-year-old probed her mind for the answer. Her best friends, Serena and Jasmine, stared at her pitifully.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Sam answered Mrs. Jones, "Was he, um, Alexander Hamilton?" She didn't like being called on in class to answer questions, especially when she wasn't sure of the correct answer. Besides, Sam was frustrated with herself. She should have known the answer right away, without guessing, since history was her favorite subject, not to mention the fact she has spent hours watching the History channel at home, without becoming bored.

Mrs. Jones nodded her head of perfectly permed curls, confirming Sam's answer was correct. As Sam breathed a steady sigh of relief, Mrs. Jones gave out the homework assignment and dismissed the class for lunch.

Just as she was about to bite into her cold pizza, Sam noticed Abigail Johnson motioning her to switch tables. Since Abigail was one of the most popular girls at the school, she knew could never refuse. Sam picked up her things and strode over.

"Hey," Abigail said, as Sam took the empty seat beside her. Looking nervously around the table, Sam couldn't help but notice that all the smartest, prettiest, and most popular kids at the school were seated at the two adjoining tables, with Abigail perched as if their queen.

"So," Abigail continued. "What was the answer to that question Mrs. Jones asked you? I just know it's going to be on the quiz."

Sam swallowed hard. Was it her imagination, or was Abigail going to ask her to cheat? Mustering up her courage, she replied almost inaudibly, "Well, we could help each other study for the quiz after school today, if you want. Hopefully, that way we will both get a better grade on the quiz."

"Why won't you just tell me the answer?" Abigail whined, then pulled out her wallet showing Sam a wad of cash. "Would you tell me if I offered you a bunch of money?"

Trusting her conscience, Sam reluctantly shook her head. "I don't want to get in trouble Abigail. And I don't want you getting caught either. What if our parents found out? I would be grounded for life!"

Looking out the cafeteria window, Sam something flying up high in the sky. Distracted for the moment, she was trying to figure out what it was. It was too large to be a bee. Perhaps a huge bird? Maybe an airplane?

Suddenly, Abigail jerked Sam's attention back to earth and with her snippy tone in her reply. "Well then, it's no wonder your birth parents didn't want you, Sam. You were probably born lacking good common sense, since you could dare to refuse such a generous offer!" With that, Abigail turned her back on Sam, pretending she was invisible and went on eating her lunch. Thankfully, Sam was saved by the lunch bell declaring it was time to go to her next class. Though she tried to forget about the incident at lunch, every time it crossed her mind, tears kept stinging her eyes.

Sam was grateful to be distracted by a ton of homework after school. She barely finished by dinner time. Later, after getting ready for bed, she turned off her light and curled up in her window seat. As she noticed the bright, full moon, the tears she fought back all day began flowing down her cheeks. Why did Abigail have to bring up her birth parents? Did she realize how deeply that subject has hurt and perplexed Sam all her life? When she was small, she used to believe that her parents were out there, searching for her. But that was long ago.

When Sam was nine, she started asking her adoptive parents a lot of questions about herself. All they were told during the adoption was that late one night Sam mysteriously appeared on the steps of the orphanage lying in a cardboard box that was just big enough for her tiny little body. She was fast asleep, and wrapped in a soft pink blanket that had the name, _Samantha_ embroidered in large script letters

She knew she would never see her parents again, and sometimes she didn't want to. On those days, all she thought about was how irresponsible they must be, or must have been. Since they just dropped her at the orphanage like a sack of potatoes, clearly they didn't care about her. Yeah, wild, immature and thoughtless, or maybe should she just say plain heartless. There were other times, she had to admit to herself, that the thought of living her entire life without knowing a single thing about them, if not know them personally, made her feel miserably dejected.

Now, at thirteen, most of the kids at school knew she was adopted. A few relentlessly teased her about it. So what? Why should they care, anyway? After all, tons of kids were adopted these days. Sam grabbed the purple fleece blanket that was folded at the end of her bed, and wrapped it around her cold body. She knew that she should get to bed, but she wasn't in the mood. It was just too tempting to remain huddled under her favorite cozy blanket, sitting on her window seat, gazing into the dark night sky, reflecting on her life. She was thankful it was Friday night, and she had the whole weekend to herself.

Suddenly, a pang of guilt and rejection washed over her again. What if her parents truly never wanted her? She pressed a pillow to her face and began to sob softly. Was I a terrible infant that cried all time, driving them crazy? Perhaps I was a huge burden that they hated lugging around with them all the time. After all, they did keep me until I was nearly two. What was it about me that was so awful that they just left me abandoned on the steps of the orphanage, she wondered for the hundredth time.

Sam was startled back to the present when she heard her bedroom door creak, as it was opened softly. In the near darkness, Sam recognized the figure of her little sister, Jessie, who was carrying a tray of something. Sam's stomach growled loudly as the warm aroma of dinner came wafting through the doorway with Jessie. Sam hadn't realized that it was past dinner time, or how hungry she was, until Jessie arrived with the dinner tray. _It's just like my thoughtful Jessie to be worried about me_, she thought, as her mouth started to water and her stomach growled again.

"Sissy," the four-year-old said softly, "Why are you crying?" Sam could help but smile when she was her sister's beautiful blue eyes. They were totally different from her own deep brown ones. Jessie gingerly placed the tray on Sam's desk, then same over to the window seat to crawl up onto Sam's lap.

"Sissy, will you tell me a story?" Jessie asked. Sam nodded her head in agreement, and then gave her sister a hug. Jessie loved to hear stories just as much as Sam loved history. Their brother, Paul, preferred to play make-believe nearly every waking moment.

"Well," Sam answered. "Which one would you like me to read tonight? Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty? Snow White? Or, my favorite, Peter Pan?"

"Oh, oh! Peter Pan, please!" the child answered, excitedly. Sam giggled. She loved to read to her siblings, especially the story of Peter Pan, which was her all-time favorite. Sam seemed to feel some kind of strange connection to the story every time she read it. Maybe it was because of all the Lost Boys in the tale, who were orphans themselves. When she was Jessie's age, she thought there really was such a place as Neverland, and a person named, Peter Pan, who would mysteriously appear one day, inviting her to go away to live there forever. At the time, Sam loved the idea of never growing up, and knew she would feel right at home with all those Lost Boys, who were orphans too.

"Well", she began. "_All children, except one, grow up_." Sam loved to tell her little sister the story from memory, since she knew every bit of it by heart. "_They soon know that they will grow up_…" Sam continued, in her best story-teller voice, until she noticed Jessie's eyes were slowly closing. Sam carried the tiny girl to bed, kissed her on the cheek, and then paused at Paul's bed to kiss him goodnight also. As Sam strolled back to her room, she realized, by now, her dinner was surely going to be very cold.

As Sam finished eating, out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flicker of movement outside her window. _Oh, probably my imagination_, she thought, as turned out the light and went to bed. Drifting off to asleep, Sam fancied she could faintly hear soft music playing outside of her window.

Now, before you say that you do not believe in fairy tales, I should like to have a word with you. Sam imagined this would be just some nice little story to tell her grandchildren. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more than she had ever expected.

There had been a figure outside her window. It was a boy, not much older than Sam herself. You would probably say that the child was dressed very strangely. He wore shorts made out of an elk skin, and a soft buckskin shirt over his lean muscled body, with a belt around his waist, on which he carried a sword and a small hunting knife, as well as other small trinkets.  
>He had a ruddy, sun-tanned face with intense dark brown eyes. His hair was dark honey-colored with lighter steaks here and there. It was soft and slightly curly, and went just to his ears.<p>

As Sam lay snuggly under her covers, that same boy softly opened her unlatched window, letting in a cool breeze, as he did. Shivering, he stepped inside, as a tiny light followed. He whispered something to the little ball of light, and then it began to flit around the room, leaving the boy shivering at the window seal. As the ball of light began to hover over Sam's sleeping figure, the boy quietly crept toward her bed. When he was as near as he could be without actually touching the bed, the ball of light began to move above Sam's face. The boy wanted to see her features more clearly.

"Yep, it's her, Tink", he whispered. "We'd better hurry before Claw realizes where we're at. If he finds out this is the house I have been coming to for years, every time she tells a story, he will put all the pieces together and try to kill her. She will be better off in Neverland, where I can protect her. Then, she will also never grow up."

As he began to step back toward the window, he miscalculated and crashed right into Sam's desk, causing the tray of dishes to make a loud clanging noise. Startled awake, Sam jolted upright, with a gasp. At the moment of the crash, Sam had been having a nightmare, so she hadn't quite realized that a clang had awakened her. At that same instant, the ball of light hid under a stuffed animal and the boy stood as frozen as a statue in the dark. He hoped beyond hope that Sam wouldn't see his figure in the dark and quietly settle back in bed and fall right back asleep.

However, the ball of light did not hide fast enough and as a result; the boy's figure was illuminated for a split second just as Sam had opened her eyes with a start.

"Hello?" she whispered softly into the darkness. No answer. Sam barely mustered up enough courage to whisper again, "Is anyone there?" her voice was barely audible. Yet, still, complete silence. The boy stood very near, as if he was a statue, attempting to blend into the scenery.

For both, the quiet seemed to go on forever, even though it had only been about two minutes. Finally, with a bit more firmness in her voice, "I know you're there", she said. If you don't come out on the count of three, who or whatever you are, I promise I will turn on this light so fast there will be no way for you to escape. "

Immediately, Sam began to count, "One….. Two…..Thr-." Before she was able to complete the last word, her voice was cut off by a hand that gently, but firmly clamped down on her mouth. She struggled to free herself, but the hand covering her mouth was stronger. As a last resort, she bit down on it. "Oww!", heard a no-so-scary voice hiss in the darkness. "Stop! I don't want to hurt you!" The voice pleaded. "If you promise to quit struggling, I will release my hold and you can turn on your lamp. Once you can see me, I will explain myself."

As Sam's body relaxed, the grip on her mouth subsided. Feeling the figure climb off the bed, Sam turned to switch on the light beside her bed. She couldn't explain why, even though there was a boy standing in the middle of her room, she wasn't afraid. The fact that he had a sword and a knife strapped on his waist, only made her intensely curious. Suddenly, she began to giggle. At the boy's perplexed expression, she only laughed more.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Well", she began, with a grin, "You're not scary, after all and you must be, what? Thirteen? Fourteen? Continuing to laugh, she said, "I can't believe I was afraid of you! Who are you, anyway?

Standing up straighter, the boy replied, "Peter, Peter Pan."

She rolled her eyes in disbelief, wondering if he was really some boy from school who had a crush on her and followed her home.

Noticing Sam's doubtful expression, the boy insisted, "No, honest, Peter Pan is my name. I have lived in Neverland since I was a baby, because I love the fact that I will never grow up. It was my fairy, Tinkerbell, who found me and took me away to Neverland."

"I don't think so." Sam retorted. "Peter Pan is the character in my favorite bedtime story I love to tell my siblings, since we are all adopted. Whoever you are, I am sure you are not Peter Pan, since he is not even real. Of course, I don't believe. .."

Immediately, the boy covered his hand over her mouth, pinning her head down against her pillow at the same time. "Never, ever say what you were about to say. You should know that every time someone _says that_, a fairy drops dead." the boy declared insistently. "If you come with me to Neverland, I can prove to you what I say is true. Samantha, I don't mean to scare you, but your life is in extreme danger. There is someone looking for you. If he finds you, he will seriously hurt you, or worse. Please, please come with me."

The boy, whoever he was, had an anxious, wide-eyed expression that tugged at her heart. All of the sudden, Sam realized this strange boy seemed extremely trustworthy, and felt curiosity was about to get the better of her.

Then, with a start, Sam hopped out of bed, declaring, "If you are Peter Pan, you can prove it to me by flying." The boy, as if expecting her request, instantly began to levitate off the carpet, until his blond hair brushed against the ceiling. Grinning widely down at Sam, his brown eyes were sparkling. With that, all of Sam's doubts vanished. Slowly, the ball of light came out of hiding and hovered in front of Sam. That little glow was so close that Sam could see it was a miniature sized woman, only slightly larger than a Polly Pocket doll. This creature, however, had wings.

Before Sam knew what was happening, that tiny fairy, who she figured must be Tinkerbell, sprinkled some kind of sparkly powder on her, and she began to sneeze. Just then, Peter flew down and grasping her hands in his, he winked at her and gazed to the ground. At first, she noticed how warm his hands were against her cold fingers, and then she followed his gaze as he looked down. With a gasp, she couldn't believe she had actually floated off the ground and was now hanging in midair!

As a thought interrupted her bliss, she sank back to her bed. Peter came near, gazing with concern into her eyes. "Samantha, what's wrong?" he asked.

"It's just that," she began reluctantly, her gaze falling to her hands. "This is the only family I have ever known. My birth parents died when I was very young. I can't just leave the people who have given me a loving, happy home."

Peter gently lifted up her chin until their eyes met, "Samantha Crystalline Brown," he smiled at her reassuringly, "what if I told you that I know who your birth parents are?"


	3. Chapter 2: Welcome to Neverland

**Thanks to all who reviewed. Sorry I haven't updated in a long time- I have tons of homework, plus I started a Lord of the Rings fic, for anyone who is interested in that sort of thing. I really want more people to read it, so please check it out! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Peter Pan, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, or The Hobbit. But they are all great books, and you should read them sometime!**

**Hope you like Chapter Two! Please, please, please review! It makes me very happy!  
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><p><strong>Chapter Two:<strong>

**Welcome to Neverland**

Sam jumped up in surprise. "That's impossible!" she cried. "My parents were killed in a car accident almost ten years ago. "How could you know about my parents when you nearly the same age as me?"

Peter grinned, "Sam, you must have forgotten that I will never grow any older than I am today. I think this is the perfect age to be. Now, hurry, if you are going to come with me. Soon I will tell you all I know about your parents."

Sam paused for a long moment, and then finally she agreed. She coaxed Peter into letting her pack an over-night. Sam grabbed an empty backpack from the top of her closet.

Turning to Peter, she asked, "So, does it ever rain or snow in Neverland? I want to be more prepared than Wendy was, having more with me than just my pajamas"

With a chuckle, Peter replied, "Believe it or not, in Neverland we enjoy the same four seasons as you do here on Earth. What did you think, that it was always spring?"

"Yes, something like that." Sam was smiling a little embarrassed, as she reached into her closet for a change clothes, thankful that she also thought to pack her swimsuit, just in case. Being extremely modest, she was relieved that her tank-ini still fit her from last summer. Lastly, Sam packed her travel pouch that contained the usual things; her toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, hairbrush, etc.

As she finished, she asked somewhat absentmindedly, "Peter, how old are you, anyway?"

"Not very old," came the reply. Sam sighed.

"Tinkerbell," she asked the Fairy, "How old would you judge Peter to be?" The little creature answered with a sound like that of miniature bells.

"Probably around your age. But he's mine, and you can't have him!'" Peter translated. He ended with a confused look.

"What did she mean by that, Sam?" he asked. Sam did understand the meaning of Tink's statement. She had heard of Tink's jealousy of Wendy, and how she had manipulated Tootles to try to kill her. Sam certainly did not want to get in her way.

This entire time, Tinkerbell had been sitting on the window, watching Peter and Sam. Though she knew Sam was likely to fall for Peter, she was confident Peter would reject Sam. Little did she know how wrong she would be.

Finally, Sam wrote a quickly note to her parents, so they wouldn't worry too much when they discovered she was gone.

_Dear Mom, Dad, Jessie, and Paul,  
><em>

_I have met a boy who says he knew my birth parents. You may not believe me,_

_I am certain that he is the real Peter Pan, from my favorite bedtime story._

_I sincerely believe and trust him, for he really CAN fly! Please, do not worry_

_about me._

_He says there is someone that is probably looking for me by the name of Claw._

_I have never heard of him. Anyway, I will be safe with Peter, because he knows_

_more about this person than I do. I am to go to Neverland, where I will never_

_grow up. He says that if I go with him, he will tell me of my parents. I really_

_want to learn as much about them as I can. I love you all, and will miss you._

_But again, PLEASE do not mourn me.  
><em>

_With love,  
>Samantha <em>

As she put the note on the window seat and gazed at Peter, who had picked up the fantasy book from her nightstand and was trying to make sense of it. _Should I trust him?_ Sam wondered to herself. He had proved that he was the real deal. Besides, if there really was someone after her, wouldn't it be best to trust someone who knew who that person was?

"Would you like me to explain that?" she asked Peter, speaking of the book in his hand. He continued to stare at it wistfully.

"Yes, I think I would like that," Peter admitted, as he handed the book to Sam. It was her huge copy of The Chronicles of Narnia, which contained all seven books in one.

"I will teach you to read sometime." Sam placed the book in her duffle bag, and then decided to also pack her The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, Peter Pan (just for kicks), a small Pocket Bible, and her stack of magazines, which were a few inches thick. Sam grabbed her new iPod Touch, realizing there would be no place to charge it. Surprisingly, it all fit into her small bag. So did Peter and he began to test its weight.

"It's pretty heavy," he said. Tinkerbell sprinkled something on the bag, and Peter handed it to Sam. When she tried to carry it, it was astonishingly lightweight.

"And now, Sam, we must be off. I have a sinking suspicion that Claw is getting closer every minute. The night is growing old, and soon the sun will rise..Be quick, for we don't want to be discovered"

In agreement, Sam stepped onto the windowsill, pausing to take one last glance at her room. _Goodbye__,_ she thought. _Mom and Dad, I love you both so much, but I know I will be safer where I'm going. I hope I know that too._

Peter beckoned to her to hurry, for he was already levitating on thin air. With a final hesitation, Sam wondered if she was wise to take this strange boy's hand into the unknown. Somehow, deep down, she knew this was the right thing for her to do.

"Just think a happy thought," Peter whispered softly. Tinkerbell, hovering next to him lounging on the wind, frowned with a heavy sigh. With all her might, Sam probed her mind for the happiest thing she could fathom. Her thoughts wondered to a cool spring day; the rain fresh air and bright sunlight just peeking through the morning clouds. Just as she felt the joy of a serene calm envelop her, Sam instantly felt as light as feather, floating beside Peter and Tink. With her whole body tingling, she became aware she was high above the earth among millions of stars. Sam started, as she felt Peter's warm, strong hand grasp hers. Reflecting back on that night later, she could hardly believe she remembered to breathe that night.

As the three of them followed a bright star, Sam watched in amazement as it turned into a planet. Entering into its atmosphere, Sam's breath really was taken away. Just as the sun was beginning to rise, Sam stared in awe amazement at the most beautiful island she had ever seen. Even though she had vacationed in picturesque Hawaii a few times, it paled in comparison to the breath-taking paradise before her.

From her vantage point way up in the clouds, Sam thought she recognized the varying colors of strange aquatic creatures through the brilliantly blue, crystal clear waters. Bordering these waters there was a lush green forest with trees of every shape and size imaginable. To the west, she saw a group of tepees forming a ring around a fire pit, that reminded her of an Indian encampment. Gazing in Peter's direction, she watched a huge grin widen across his bronzed face.

"Neverland," he proudly stated. At that very moment Sam could almost feel the air around him tingle with youthful energy. This caused Sam to imagine Peter being the "power source" for this island, known as Neverland. Slowly descending toward land, Sam glanced to the area she expected Hook's pirate ship to be anchored. It wasn't there. Following Sam's gaze, Peter became troubled as he also noticed the absence of his nemesis' ship. Immediately he motioned for Sam to follow him to the spot to investigate. True enough, there was no pirate ship in the cove, nor was it to be found anywhere else on the island, they soon discovered.

As Sam's feet finally touched the cream-colored, soft sand of the beach, she remembered how exhausted she was from her lack of sleep and all the excitement of the night. In a dizzy blur, Sam felt her knees buckle and her body slowly slither to the ground.

Peter rushed to her side. "Sam," he said with concern, "I need get you to the hideout." To Sam's surprise, Peter scooped her into his arms with ease, and in a flash they were at a huge, gnarled tree within the woods. Kicking open the small trapdoor, he gently brought Sam inside.

The cave-like space reminded Sam of a somewhere a Mountain Man might live. Tunnels ran on either side, and led to the top of the tree. There was a dirt floor covered with pelts from various animals. The bunk of beds on either side were carved into the wooden walls. A small fire crackled in one corner and even in her haze, Sam could see the whole space needed a good "spring" cleaning. Everywhere Sam looked there was shining treasure lying around; a pearl necklace here, gold bracelet there.

In the quiet of the space, Peter placed her on one of the beds and when he whistled loudly, Sam nearly jump out of her skin. Within seconds boys came rushing in through every space possible One by one they lined up in front of her from tallest to shortest. Sam guess their ages to range from nine to six. All were dressed in dirty animal skins, and the stench nearly caused Sam to gag.

"Lost Boys," Peter said in an official tone, "I would like to introduce Sam. Sam will be like our "new mother", and she loves to tell stories. Now, introduce yourselves."  
>One by one, each of the six boys introduced themselves.<p>

"Slightly!" yelled a lanky boy in a fox pelt.

"Cubby!" hollered a pudgy kid in a bear skin.

"Nibs!" cried a buck-toothed youngster wearing a rabbit hide

"The Twins!" chorused two identical children in raccoon skins.

"Tootles," quietly whimpered a tiny pipsqueak, with a splash of freckles across his tiny nose who had large dark eyes that were staring up at her. He was dressed in a skunk skin and Sam thought him the most adorable child she had ever seen.

"Will you tell us a story?" asked Slightly, followed by all the other Lost Boys, who loudly chimed in. Sam instantly felt overwhelmed.

Peter realized he made a big mistake when he saw the exhausted, weary, disappointed glare that was directed his way. She couldn't believe he had set her up like this, just for a few stupid stories!

Above the loud chaos, Sam yelled, "Boys, Peter and I need to have a little talk. I would really appreciate it if you could all leave for a bit." Sullenly, they all obeyed, and within moments it was just Peter with her in the hideout, again.

Sam scowled at him, and Peter tried to grin back at her innocently. "You set me up," she snapped. As Peter's smile faded, she harshly continued, "I think you kidnapped, and brought me here just so I could mother these boys and tell them stories! You probably made up the story of that Claw person just so I would be scared enough to leave with you."

"Sam, I-" he began, but she interrupted him. "You think this is funny, don't you? Well it's not. Everything is just a game to you, Peter Pan! Grow up!" She began to storm out of the cave, but he got in her way. Unfortunately, he was taller and stronger than her, so she had no choice but to succumb to his will and stop.

"Sam," he said in a calmly soothing voice, as he held her at arm's length, so she couldn't bolt. "You must believe me. I promise you, there really is a person named Claw who used to be the seventh Lost Boy. That is, until he became a pirate and Hook's replacement. I honestly brought you here to protect you. Since you are here, I didn't think you'd mind mothering the Lost Boys. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I understand," she signed, submissively. And with that, Peter's joyful grin returned. His dark eyes regained their youthful sparkle, as he flew to an opening at the top of the cave.

With Tink firmly attached on his shoulder, he excitedly called down to her, "Come on, Sam."

"Peter," she weakly smiled at him and replied, "I can't go anywhere right now." Plopping herself back onto the bed, she tried to hold back a yawn, as she declared, "I really need to sleep for a while."

Reluctantly, Peter realized Sam was right. He told her not to worry, but to get some rest. If she needed anything, she just had to holler, for he would be keeping guard the whole time, right outside.

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><p>"Where are we going?" Sam asked.<p>

"To show you Neverland."

"But I've seen enough."

Peter grasped her by the wrist, and she floated next to him. He then pulled her up and out of the cavern to explore the island.

First, they visited the Mermaids. The creatures were sunning themselves on a rock, and were surprised to see a human girl at Peter's side. They ignored her completely, and fawned over Peter, who seemed to enjoy the attention. Sam watched with jealousy, and as a golden haired mermaid stroked his hair, she sprinted into the forest.

She heard Peter calling her name, but she still would not stop, not even when she encountered a pool of water. She swam as fast as she could, not looking back once. Suddenly, her arms became like lead. She began to sink helplessly into the pool. Exhaustion took over. Her lungs ached horribly with all the air they were holding. Her body wanted to give up and drown.

Then, something began pulling her up. She felt herself steadily rising towards the light. She thought she had died. When she surfaced, the cool air filled her lungs, and it felt like she had just drank ice cold water on a hot day. Something tugged her to the bank. Everything became a blur. She saw Peter's face above her as she slid into the soft grass. Then, everything went black.

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><p><strong>Duh duh duh! Please Review! If you do, I might give you a sneek peek! Btw, next chapter I will introduce the fearsome Claw!<strong>

**Also, I have character descriptions on my Pr****ofile**. **You sh****ould ****check them out! Please go read my other fic. You know you want to (evil grin).**

**Again, please review!**


	4. Chapter 3: Captain Claw

**Wow, I haven't updated in forever! I'm soooooo sorry guys! Please don't give up on me! **

**By the way, can you guys help me out with something? I want to know if Sam should stay in Neverland or go back to Earth… I'm pretty sure I'm not going to make a sequel, because I want to get this done ASAP so I can concentrate on **_**A Fellowship of Friends. **_**Sorry guys if you were hoping for a sequel! Please PM me or review and tell me what you guys think about what happens to Sam. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan **

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

_**Chapter Three:**_

_**Captain Claw**_

_Sam was running along a white-sanded beach. It was sunset, and the waves lapped her feet as she sprinted through the foam. A ship banked on the sands. It looked as though it had sailed off of a picture in a history book. A shadowed figure jumped down from the starboard side._

_ "Hello?" she called warily. No answer. She slowly tiptoed towards the boat, hoping that she would not be discovered. Just as she was about to reach out and touch the barnacle encrusted hull, Sam was forced down violently. A man's face hovered above her. He reeked of salt water, blood, battle, and all sorts of other unmentionable things._

_ "Prepare to die, little girl," he growled viciously, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a giant fishhook reach for her throat._

_ "Peter!" she screamed._

Sam woke with a start. She was covered in sweat, and her damp clothes gave her a chill. When her eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight, she could see that someone had brought her back to the hideout. The silence was eerie. Trying to sit up, she quickly found that she was too weak. Her body collapsed onto the straw mattress.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came a voice out of nowhere. Peter floated up to the bed and stood next to it. He reached his arm across and brushed her silky hair out of her eyes. The truth of the situation hit her in the face.

"You saved my life," she said breathlessly. He nodded. "Oh Peter, I'm so sorry! I should never had run away like that."

"Nah, its fine," he said, like it was no big deal. "You've had a long day, I understand. Now, we all should get to bed. It's late."

Sam agreed, and soon her, Peter, and the rest of the Lost Boys had blown out the candles and were asleep in their bunks.

The next morning, the Pirate Ship was back in the cove. Peter announced this after a breakfast of tropical fruit and eggs, and all the Boys cheered. Each one began to race around the room, collecting knives, swords, bows and arrows, and other such weapons. Sam just sat there, stunned. Peter tossed her a sword. To her surprise, she easily caught it by the hilt.

Sam quickly hung a large skin in a bare corner of the room to change behind. Soon, she was dressed in a loose, green T-shirt with blue skinny jeans tucked into brown leather boots. Her long, chestnut hair she plaited back into two French-braids. Slightly tossed her a sword belt, and she desperately wished that she did not have to use the detestable weapon. She hated the sight of blood and battle. A few weeks earlier, she had watched _The Patriot _with her dad_,_ and was completely disgusted by the gore and death.

"Come on, Boys!" Peter called. The children followed him out of the cave in height order. Sam was directly behind Peter, and he told her that in the attack, she must promise to leave Claw to him. She agreed, for she barely had any idea how to use her weapon. Sam told him this, and so he showed her a few striking and dodging techniques.

As they neared the cove, Sam almost thought she could hear harsh singing voices wafting through the air. She could smell the ship before she saw it. It was the odor of rot and disease, and the stench made her want to gag.

The ship itself was a fairly large vessel. Men dressed in dirty clothing scurried about with their daily duties. They were some of the ugliest characters she had ever seen. As they peered through the bushes, Peter pointed out a few and told Sam their names. But then a tall man appeared, who seemed to be in charge of the ship. He had long, curly brown hair which Sam presumed was a wig. He was richly dressed, and looked like he would grin evilly out of those sky-blue eyes as he ran you through with his cutlass.

"That's Claw," Peter said, pointing to the man. Sam shuddered. He looked just like the man in her dream, yet slightly creepier. As if on cue, Claw raised what would have been his left hand, but in its place was a metal hook the size of tennis-ball.

Sam followed Peter through the thicket. She was sweating like crazy by now from the intense, tropical heat, but the boy didn't seem to mind. She studied him for a moment as they crept along. His blond curls stuck to his face, and his brown eyes sparkled with a youthful glee.  
>As they neared the pirate ship, she suddenly felt very frightened. Sam was aware that Peter would protect her, but the idea of crossing swords with one of those fearsome pirates was just plain scary.<p>

Peter approached the ship warily. He decided it would be much more fun to scare the pirates silly than to fly in and risk being shot. After all, the pirates were grown-ups, and Peter Pan hated grown-ups.  
>"Stay here," he whispered to Sam. Then, he disappeared into the underbrush. As he crept along, a smile spread onto his face. The pirates wouldn't be expecting this! Oh, he couldn't wait to see the look on Claw's face when Peter and the Lost Boys caught them in an attack.<br>Suddenly, Peter let out a crow, like a rooster at sunrise. He flew out of the forest and straight onto the mast on the ship. Claw gasped. Peter just grinned widely.  
>"You little-" Claw cursed under his breath.<br>"Nice day, isn't it, Claw?" Peter said from the mast. Claw just glared daggers at the boy.  
>"Coward," Claw yelled. "Come down and fight me, hand to hand!" Peter floated down and landed, hands on his hips.<br>"Sure thing," the boy replied, the eager grin never leaving his face. He drew his sword in a salute. Claw just charged straight on, but Peter easily deflected the blow and jumped out of the way. They fought like this until Peter flew onto the mast and let out a shrill whistle. Sam, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys all swam to the ship in his aid.

Peter was surprised at Sam's seemingly natural grace with a sword. She easily deflected oncoming attacks and in a few minutes, two pirates had already suffered from slashes and stabs from her. He could stand there forever watching her, but Claw came back with another round of sword fighting. The older man was by far less graceful than the great Peter Pan, but he could still make it somewhat of a challenge for the boy.

Suddenly, Claw caught Peter off guard. He grabbed the boy with his hook and pulled him down violently. The entire battle paused what they were doing to watch. They froze in their tracks as if someone had flipped a switch. The vessel became eerily quiet; the only sounds were the lapping of water against the hull. Claw grinned in triumph as Peter squirmed against his grasp, while the frozen crowd looked on. After a moment, Sam squirmed against the hideous pirate who was holding her back to his chest.

"Well, well, what have we here?" asked Claw in a sarcastically silky voice. Chills went down her back as he spoke. She shuddered. His eyes bored through her, as if he wanted to slit her throat. The thought nauseated her.

"So kind of you, Pan," Claw continued. "You have brought another girlfriend to this horrid place. How sweet! I just cannot wait to see her face when she realizes she cannot keep you." Sam went pale.

_What's this creeper talking about? _She thought. _Peter brought me here for protection, not romance! _Peter glared at Claw and dug his heel into the man's boot. Claw cried out in agony and let go of the boy, who promptly jumped and kicked him in the face. Suddenly, an odd noise could be heard above the din.

_Tick_

_Tock_

_Tick _

_Tock_

_Tick _

_Tock_

Claw screeched louder and jumped into the arms of the nearest pirate as Peter smirked and flew to the Crow's Nest.

"What's this I see?" he said in mock surprise. "A ticking crocodile after Captain Claw, how exciting! He looks absolutely petrified!" Sam giggled at Peter. The boy, noticing this, began to ramble on in a fake English accent, which only made her laugh harder. He stealthily floated down behind the Captain, and mimicked the ticking noise. Claw nearly jumped out of his skin, shaking violently with eyes as big as saucers.

"Get me out of here!" he wailed like a small child. Peter beamed triumphantly. He flew to Tinkerbell and motioned for her to use her pixie dust on the Boys and Sam. The fairy followed his instruction, and soon Peter, Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, and Sam were all flying high above the ship. Claw keened as the children (and fairy) all soared back to Hangman the Second*.

By then, it was nearly midday. Sam was famished, and she could see that the other children were hungry, too. However, she was flummoxed at what they would eat.

"Boys," she asked them curiously, "what are we gonna eat for lunch?"

They shrugged.

"I don't know," answered Cubby. His stomach growled audibly. "I guess whatever you make us, 'cause you're our new mother." Sam groaned inwardly. Sure, she could cook just fine. But for seven hungry boys, herself, _and _a fairy? There was just no way she could do this alone.

"Okay," she said using the most commanding voice she could muster. All the Boys, Peter included, turned to face her. "I will make you guys lunch, but you all have to help me make this happen." They nodded quickly.

"So, what do you Boys usually eat?"

She was answered by a chorus of voices yelling to be heard. Sam could make out things like "Never-berry pudding," "Roasted Never-bird," "Fried Never-fish," and all sorts of other, 'Never-foods'. She cleared her throat. Instantly, the room quieted.

"How about fruit salad for my first day?" she asked sheepishly. Six heads nodded in agreement and raced out the entrances, leaving herself and Peter behind, whom she immediately put to work setting the table. He pulled out a long, smooth plank of polished dark wood which was attached to four short, evenly cut stumps at the corners. Sam gasped when she saw it.

"Oh, Peter!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful." She stroked the glassy-smooth wood table lovingly. He smiled nervously.

"Nibs likes to sand and polish it when he's bored," Peter informed her. She grinned and pulled out some carved wooden bowls, handing them to him, which he then distributed around the table.

The Boys returned after a few minutes, with baskets full of tropical fruits and berries, which Sam promptly chopped with a knife Peter gave her. Scanning through the clutter in the hideout, she spotted a wooden bowl in a corner that would be perfect for the fruit. After she dumped the food into the basin, she set it in the middle of the table, and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"Oh, Mother," Slightly exclaimed. "It looks wonderful!" The rest of the Boys agreed, and Peter put his arm around her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Sam blushed involuntarily, but quickly chided herself for doing so.

As the children devoured their lunch, they began to discuss what each person would do for the rest of the day. Most of the boys wanted to play games like "Treasure Hunt," "Hide-and-seek," or "Follow the Leader." Sam, however, had other ideas.

"Peter," she asked sweetly. "Do you think you could take me to see the Indians? I would really like to meet them."

"Sure," he answered. "I haven't been to the Indian Camp for a long time. And besides, I need to talk to the Chief about something important." Peter led her out of the hideout.

***Remember when Hangman's Tree was destroyed in the Disney movie?**

**Anyway, please review or PM me about what happens to Sam. Also, please check out my other fic as well. I really want more people to read it. Oh, and check out the character descriptions on my profile XD**

**By the way, I might not post another chapter for a while. I've got a HUGE 40 hour project for school, and so I don't have much time to write or edit. Thank goodness summer's almost here!**


	5. Chapter 4: The Feast

**Thanks again to those who reviewed. It really makes me genuinely happy when I get that email saying someone reviewed XD.**

**I especially wanna thank ****shells210**** for their really sweet review. I really hope I'm not making Sam a Mary-Sue. If I am, please feel free to tell me, as long as it's not a flame.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan. But I do own some yummy apple licorice :D. Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds.**

**Review, and I might give you virtual licorice, any flavor you want XD**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Four:<strong>_

_**The Feast**_

Nearing the Indian encampment, Sam was struck by how colossal Neverland was. From the air, it looked like the island only had a radius of a few miles. Now, as she and Peter zipped through the trees, it seemed to be ginormous. At one point, Sam needed to ask Peter to stop for a moment so she could recover from the dizziness which overtook her in the forest. Agreeing, they landed on a grassy hill with a panoramic view of Neverland. For the first time, Sam noticed the icy mountains that loomed above the rest of the island. However, she couldn't see what lay beyond them, even from the air.

"What's behind those mountains?" she asked, curious.

"Hmm?" Peter replied. He had been occupied with sharpening his dagger with a small stone.

"What is beyond that mountain range?" Sam asked again, gesturing with her hand in that direction. A dark look flickered across Peter's face.

"Nothing," he replied curtly. Sam almost thought she could see a look of pain flash in his eyes, but his expression was quickly masked with his charming smile.

"Ready to go?" he asked. Sam nodded, brushing off the conversation. Still, something in the back of her mind nagged her about the question.

The two of them landed just beyond the Indian camp, and were met by two bronze-skinned natives. The older of the two was a man, about Sam's dad's age, with plaited black hair that hung to his elbows. His warm, friendly brown eyes were crinkled at the sides from years of smiling. The younger native was an extremely beautiful teenage girl, who looked to be a few years older than Sam, with long, silky-straight raven colored hair that hung to her hips and was blowing softly in the breeze. Sam was shocked at the length of her thick, black eyelashes, for she wore no makeup on her large dark eyes.

Peter introduced the man, Chief Flying Eagle, and the girl as Princess Tiger Lily. Sam smiled to them and shook hands.

"Welcome to Neverland, Miss Samantha," Tiger Lily said in surprisingly good English. Sam quickly asked her in a low tone to please not call her by her full name. The Indian Princess seemed taken aback by this request, but remained polite and didn't say any more of the matter.

As the girls began to exchange small talk, Tiger Lily led Sam into the encampment, and both were surprised that they had a lot in common, for Tiger Lily's birth parents were killed in an Indian raid when she was an infant, at which time the Chief adopted her into the family. Now she was next in line for the Throne. In turn, Sam explained the fact that she never knew her real parents, though Peter claimed he did. Tiger Lily then asked her about the land in which Sam was born. Sam grimaced.

"Well," she began with a regretful tone. " The United States of America, where I am from, has become a corrupt country with a terrible government. A long time ago, the Indians were forced onto reservations, but now they can come and go as they please. Still, the only place they can live for free is on their tribe's reservation that was returned to them by the government."

At this, Tiger Lily's dark eyes widened in anger, and she clenched her teeth in an attempt at cooling her irritation, but Sam's words still made her blood boil.

"Sorry," Sam offered with sincerity, in hopes of changing the subject. Tiger Lily nodded.

With no animosity towards Sam, Tiger Lily replied simply, "It's not your fault."The two remained silent for what seemed like an eternity.

The silence was broken when Peter floated up to them, wearing a blue feather in his curly blonde hair, and colorful war paint was streaked across his bronze skin, which made both of them smile.

After greeting them in his usual manner, he put an arm around Sam and steered her away from the camp. She felt shivers on her skin everywhere he touched her. _Stop it_, she told herself. _He brought you here to protect you from the Pirates, not because he thought you were pretty._

Her thoughts were interrupted when he put both hands on her shoulders, turning her to lock his dark eyes into hers. Sam fidgeted uncomfortably in his gaze.

"We have been invited to a feast tonight, in honor of the new moon," he began. "You can stay and get ready with Tiger Lily if you want, and I will leave and bring back the boys."

"Yeah, I would like that," she replied. "Perhaps I could ask Tiger Lily for something to wear." Peter stared at her, a worried look on his face.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Sam thought she could sense a hint of concern in his voice.

"I think so. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. I'll see you in a few hours." And with that, he disappeared into the forest.

Returning back to the Princess, Sam relayed a'' Peter said, leaving out the part where he had been worried about her safety. Tiger Lily nodded.

"I do believe I have a few things that will fit you," she said. "Let's go check." Tiger Lily led Sam into a small tent within the encampment.

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><p>By sundown, Peter arrived with Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys. The tiny Pixie had insisted that the children wash, which led to much grumbling and complaining, especially on Peter's part. Still, all seven boys arrived with faces scrubbed and hair combed.<p>

Peter made a beeline to the tent where he was sure to find Sam. To his disappointment, he found Tiger Lily standing outside, arms crossed and a smug look on her face.

"Well?" he asked, trying to pass her. The princess held the position.

"Can't see her 'til the party starts," Tiger Lily said. "Your fault for coming early." Peter sighed and rolled his dark eyes.

"Why not?" he nearly whined. At the instant he spoke, Peter didn't recognize his own voice.

"Go find someone else to keep you company," Tiger Lily said. He was about to say he would wait when a drum sounded, signaling that the feast would begin shortly and that everyone needed to find a place to sit.

With another dejected sigh, Peter floated towards the enormous bonfire in the center of the camp. He sat cross legged in mid-air near the place he always sat when he attended the Indian's numerous feasts, and where he knew the chief and Tiger Lily would be. In the dusk, his eyes diligently scanned the faces young and old as they gathered in the area around the blazing fire and found a seat. _Where is she? _He thought. His musings were interrupted when a slow, methodical thumping sounded from the skin-covered drums which some of the men were pounding.

All eyes turned in the direction of Princess Tiger Lily's teepee.

_Thump_

_Thump_

The flap was opened, and out stepped Tiger Lily in an ornately decorated elk skin dress.

_Thump_

_Thump_

The crowd parted to make way for the princess, and as the drum beat continued, she began to dance slowly. The moves seemed to flow from her lithe body.

_Thump_

_Thump_

The pounding became faster, as did Tiger Lily's dance.

_Thump_

_Thump_

In an amazing blur, she was spinning and leaping around the fire. It made Peter's eyes hurt just to watch her move so fast. Then, in an instant, the sound of the drums ceased, as did the princess. The whole tribe roared in delight, but Peter's mind was occupied by his confusion. _Where is Sam? _He wondered anxiously. Tinkerbell flew over to him, looking happy and energetic.

"Tink, have you seen Sam yet?" The pixie nodded eagerly.

"_**Yeah, Peter, I have," **_her excited voice echoed in his mind. She pointed to the tent Tiger Lily had emerged from. Peter followed her gaze, and gasped.

_Wow, _was all he could say. She looked… different. Even more gorgeous, if that was possible. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back in silky-soft waves. She wore a sleeveless buckskin dress which was fitted at her waist and then flowed down her knees. Something on the rims of her eyes brought out her deep brown irises, and her eyelashes seemed darker and longer.

She was not pretty. She was not beautiful either. Samantha Brown was as radiant as a spring day, Peter thought as he felt his heart nearly stop when their eyes met. *

A wide grin lit up her face, and she hurried over to where he was seated in mid-air. Tugging him down, she threw her arms around his neck in a hug. Stunned, Peter awkwardly returned the embrace. He was so relieved Sam couldn't see the red that burned his cheeks.

"Where have you been?" she asked breathlessly, and her sparkling eyes studied Peter's face.

"I-I was looking for you earlier," he managed to stutter out. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice his embarrassment.

"Isn't this great?" Sam exclaimed, not being able to control her excitement.

Overwhelmed by the electric surge her gaze created, Peter yanked his eyes away from Sam's. Noticing his sudden change, a worried look crossed her face.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked. He nodded.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," Peter managed to choke out and nodded his head with a smile as if to emphasize his point. Sam grinned back, and then Tiger Lily walked up.

"I see you found her," the Indian Princess said, giving Peter a playful punch in the arm. "Here, Peter, there's someone I want you to meet." She tugged the boy into the crowd, leaving Sam and Tinkerbell alone. The fairy beckoned to Sam to follow her.

"Where are we going?" the girl asked. Tink just motioned for her to follow into the woods. Sam puckered her forehead in uncertain perplexity.

"Well, okay, but don't try anything stupid," Sam said, trying to sound in jest. The fairy turned and flitted into the forest.

Trudging past the trees, it became darker with every step. Sam much anxiety as they ventured farther and farther away from the camp. Suddenly, Tink flew out of eyesight. She felt her heart sink.

In a panicked terror, she called, "Tinkerbell! Where'd you go?". Realizing the fairy had abandoned her, Sam forced herself to regain composure. After all, she shouldn't be surprised, since Tink had a notorious reputation for her jealousy.

_Why didn't I think of that earlier? _She thought, inwardly slapping herself. _Ugh, now she's gonna try to kill me or something worse. Better be on guard. _

After what seemed like hours, a familiar voice cut into her thoughts. "Sam! Where are you?"

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><p><strong>Who wants licorice? Omnomnomnom. Please review, so I can share my candy with y'all! Oh, and I have a description of Sam on my profile, along with a link to a picture of her.<strong>

** *By the way, who here knows what book that quote's from? Correct answer gets bonus licorice!**


	6. Chapter 5: Amazing Grace

**For those of you that were asking, I finished my project a while ago. Sorry I haven't mentioned that sooner. I am on summer break, so hopefully there will be weekly updates. However, I have other stories to attend to, and I'm gonna be co-authoring a LotR fic with Maethorelen, so I probably won't be writing chapters as fast as I would like. I have actually barely started the next chapter for this one. Sorry!**

**This has to be my favorite chapter that I have written so far. Mind you, there is **_**lots **_**of fluff between Sam and Peter, so be prepared for romance! Lolz, my favorite! XD**

**Thank you to all you beautiful people who reviewed. It really means a ton, but that's what everyone says. If there was a more unique way to thank you, you bet I'd do it. You guys rock! Keep them coming! Here's some virtual chocolate for being such nice people.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan, or the song, **_**Amazing Grace**_**. It's a very, very old hymn, for those of you that have never heard it.**

**Hope you like this chapter!**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Five:<strong>_

_**Amazing Grace**_

"Peter!" called Sam. "Over here!"

Peter appeared out of the darkness of the forest. "Sam!" he exclaimed in relief. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you! I left the Lost Boys with Tiger Lily, and they're safe for now." Sam nodded. Peter perched himself on a low hanging tree branch. "Come on up," he said, and motioned for her to join him. As a young child, Sam had taken to climbing tall trees to escape the normal world. But now, she felt awkward clambering up to sit next to Peter. He didn't laugh at her, which made her feel somewhat less self-conscious.

"So," she said, trying to start a conversation with him. "What's new?"

Peter smiled. "Oh, I don't know," he said. "I don't want to bore you with some tale about me defeating Claw for the umpteenth time." Sam giggled at this.

"What?" he asked. Then, in a perfect imitation of Claw's voice he said, "I'll get you for this, Peter Pan! If it's the last thing I do!" This caused both of them to burst out laughing- that kind of laughter which makes your sides hurt and your eyes water.

"That old Codfish will never win!" said Sam when she could speak. Peter's face suddenly turned thoughtful.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her grin melting away.

"It's just," Peter said, hesitatingly. "Today's the first time I've ever heard you laugh." Then he paused for a moment. "You look pretty when you laugh." This made Sam's face turn red, and she was grateful it was night so he couldn't see her face clearly.

"Well that's, um, nice," Sam replied awkwardly. She had no idea what else to say. Apparently, he didn't either, so they just sat there, listening to the crickets and staring at the stars through the forest canopy.

After what seemed like ages, Peter broke the silence. "Do you know of any constellations?" he asked. Sam shook her head to indicate she did not, but realized he probably couldn't see her.

"No," she replied softly. "I don't." She felt Peter shrug next to her.

"That's ok," he said. "I don't know of any either, except one." He motioned for her to look up.

"That one," he said, pointing southeast. "I call it the Neverbird." Peter drew an invisible outline around it with his index finger, and Sam could just make out the shape of a beak and a pair of wings.

"Yes, I see it," she said, turning back to him. It was then she realized how close they were. Peter had subconsciously wrapped an arm around her, and now their faces were mere centimeters from each other. He noticed it too, and slowly withdrew his arm.

Sam grabbed his tunic. "Don't stop," she said, her voice barely a whisper. He stared at her in the eyes, and she felt something flutter in her heart. Peter slowly put his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled her head against his chest.

"Peter," Sam asked quietly, with her eyes closed in contentment.

"Mhmm?" he answered. He shut his eyes as well, resting his head against the tree trunk.

"How do think of me? As a friend…. or?" She asked. Peter stiffened noticeably.

"I- I don't know," he replied. "I never really thought about it before now."

"I think I know," Sam stated as she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder to be able to look into his face.

"Do you?" He asked in surprise.

"And I also know exactly what you want from me," Sam said in a playful tone and a twinkle in her eye.

"And what's that, Sam?" Peter was intrigued.

"You'll see," she started with a soft nervous giggle, and he leaned forward so their faces were inches apart.

_I could kiss him, _Sam thought. _I could move my head one inch forward and kiss Peter Pan. _

"You know what?" Peter responded. "I want to give you something."

"Really?" she whispered with curiosity.

Peter nodded. "I want to give you this," he answered, and leaned even closer, gently kissing Sam on the cheek.

Her heart flip flopped in her chest. Sam, tried, but couldn't suppress a nervous giggle.

"You missed," she said, and leaned towards him, since his kiss had barely missed her lips. _Just one more centimeter and I'll-_

_CRACK! _A twig snapped on the ground. Sam involuntarily jumped in surprise, and felt Peter's strong arms close around her shoulders protectively. Again, a blush burned her cheeks.

"Peter!" a small familiar voice called from below. Peter rolled his eyes, annoyed with whoever was down there.

"What now, Cubby?" he called back in agitation. Cubby didn't seem to hear is tone, though.

"Tinkerbell says we need to go back home," Cubby replied, and Sam realized the Lost Boy must be exhausted.

It was then that Peter was aware that he was still holding Sam in an embrace. He quickly released her, and flew down to where Cubby was standing nearby. Sad that the moment had ended, Sam twisted around and clambered to the forest floor.

Cubby did look tired, by Sam's estimation. His bear pelt was stained with various foods, and there was an unmistakable drowsy expression in his dark eyes. To her, the boy looked as though he would fall over any moment.

"He's right," Sam told Peter. "It is very late, and I'm tired, too."

"All right," he agreed. "Let's go get the other boys." The three of them strode out of the forest, with Cubby leading and Sam and Peter following a few yards behind.

"So," Peter said. "Did you have a nice time?" Sam nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, I did!" she replied, her face breaking into a wide grin.

They soon reached the encampment, only to find that Tinkerbell had already gathered up the remaining Lost Boys. The children sat in a circle, and each one looked half asleep already. Sam hurried over to them.

"Did you guys have fun?" she asked, picking up Tootles. The boys nodded drowsily, and the child in her arms rested his head against her shoulder before drifting off to sleep.

"Come on," Peter said, beckoning to them. "It's no use flying, cause you can't have happy thoughts when your half asleep." The boys got to their feet and trudged into the forest.

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><p>Somehow, the group managed to get to the hideout by midnight. Sam had no clue how they did it, though. As she set Tootles down in a bunk, the rest of the boys plopped down in various places, dog-tired.<p>

"Mother," Nibs asked from his bunk. "Can you sing a song?" The question caught Sam off guard.

_Sing? _She thought. _I can't sing! At least, not that well in my opinion. _She sighed.

"What do you want me to sing?" she inquired. By this time, the rest of the boys were sitting up, eagerly wanting a song.

"We don't care," Slightly said. "Just something that can put us to sleep."

Sam racked her brain, trying to think of something slow to sing the boys to sleep. Then, in a soft voice she began:

"_Amazing Grace,_

_How sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me,_

_I once was lost, but now I'm found_

_Was blind, but now I see_

The boys looked content with her song choice, so Sam continued singing. She felt Peter sit down next to her.

_T'was Grace that taught_

_My heart to fear_

_And Grace my fears relived_

_How precious did that grace appear_

_The hour I first believed_

Subconsciously, Peter put an arm around her. Sam barely noticed though, for she was so lost in the melody.

_Through many dangers, toils and snares_

_We have already come,_

_T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far_

_And Grace will lead us home_

_When we've been here ten thousand years_

_Bright shining as the sun_

_We've no less days to sing God's praise_

_Then when we've first begun_

_Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me_

_I once was lost but now I'm found_

_Was blind, but now I see_

Sam blushed as she finished. All the boys were asleep, save for Peter, who sat next to her. With his arm was wrapped around her, she could feel his breath brushing against her face.

"I've got to get to bed," she said, pulling away gently. He allowed her to make her way back to her bed, but followed close behind. As Sam lay down on the straw mattress, Peter leaned down and brushed his soft lips across her forehead.

"Goodnight," he whispered. Sam felt her heart flutter for a second.

"Goodnight," she answered.

"I love you," Peter told her, his voice barely audible.

"I love you too, Peter Pan."

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><p><strong>So… Did ya like it? Please review, it makes me happy and motivates me to write more. This will be a relatively short story (about ten chapters, give or take), so I have reached the halfway point! Yay me!<strong>

**REVIEW PLEASE! **


	7. Chapter 6: Fun in Neverland

** I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. I've just been so busy and stuff… Anyway, I hope you enjoy this rather long update. I have completed writing this story, I just need to get my mom to read it before I can post it. **

** I don't own **_**Peter Pan**_**, or **_**Lord of the Rings**_**, or **_**Narnia**_**, or **_**Lost.**_** I have been watching way too much **_**Lost **_**lately… it's just sooooooooooooo addicting, even though the ending sucks…**

** Review please!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

**Fun in Neverland**

"Sam, get up already!"

Sam rolled over in bed, trying to grasp the fading tendrils of sleep that floated in her mind.

"Just two more minutes," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block out the strident noises that the boys were making in the other room.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and in stepped Peter, with the Twins following close behind. Sam opened one eye drowsily. "What do you want?" she grumbled as she saw the boys impishly grinning at her.

"Come on, Sam," Peter coaxed. "We've got a big day ahead of us!"

"Be quiet," Sam growled. "You said that yesterday, and all you wanted me to do was show you the right way to cut an apple. Geez, guys, you've gotta learn to take care of yourselves!" She propped herself up onto her elbows and gave the three boys a playful smirk, wondering how they managed without her.

"So what do you _really _want?" Sam inquired suspiciously. Peter and the Twins almost squirmed under her watchful gaze.

"Well," the Twins began in unison. "There's this really pretty waterfall not too far away that we were hoping to take you to. It's fine if you don't want to go, though."

_A waterfall?! _Sam sprang out of bed. "Of course I'll go, sillies! Now get out so I can change!" She shooed the three boys out of the chamber into the main area of the hideout.

Locking the door behind them, Sam quickly busied herself with the tedious task of digging through the tangle of clothing in her duffle bag. Having been in Neverland for a few weeks now, her once tidy bag had become a mumble-jumble of the various apparel she had packed.

After much consideration, Sam decided on a purple and green tank-ini that modestly covered her torso. She found a decent pair of cargo shorts that reached to her mid-thigh and a blue tank top to wear over her swimwear.

Sam wondered what to do with her mass of thick wavy brown hair that hung to the middle of her back. She knew that it would be too much of a hassle to leave it down; it would be a pain to get a brush through her locks later on when they got back from the waterfall.

After much contemplation, she decided to plait it into one long braid down her back. It was simple, yet when she glanced at herself in a shiny piece of metal that sat in a corner, even Sam had to admit that she didn't look too bad.

Emerging from her room, she found the the boys quite literally bouncing off the walls. Slightly and Nibs were wrestling each other over a small trinket which she couldn't make out. The Twins had climbed into the tangle of roots above their heads and were about to spill a bucket of something on Cubby, who was seated gnawing on a turkey leg. Sam didn't even want to know where he had gotten it.

Peter and Tink were nowhere to be found, and Tootles was the only boy in the group who appeared to be sane. He sat on a threadbare sofa, silently observing the chaos around him. Sam rushed over to him and scooped him into her arms.

Turning around, she slowly murmured, "Boys?" No one even threw her a glance, save for Tootles, who had no choice but to look at her. The small boy in her arms grasped her long braid and busied himself with studying the intricately woven tresses in his tiny hands.

"Boys?" Sam said again, her voice gaining a harder tone, but still quiet. No one acknowledged her. she was getting angry. _No one _had ever completely ignored her in her life, not even in her old days at the orphanage.

Tootles began to gently tug on her braid, as if he were trying to figure out what it was attached to. Sam didn't really mind the trivial pain it caused her, since her mind was elsewhere for the moment.

"BOYS!" she yelled sternly, and at that moment a sharp pain in her neck caused her to stumble back. Miscalculating, Sam crashed into a stool behind her, falling flat onto her back. She winced as the floor made contact.

The entire room went silent. Sam groaned and tried to move, but then heard familiar laughter coming from above.

"Peter," she growled between gritted teeth as she glanced up to see Peter's face above her.

"Really, Sam, you should see your face," he managed to say through his laughter. "You look hilarious!"

Fortunately, Tootles had managed to jump out of the way as Sam had fallen, and was now giggling to himself quietly.

Suddenly, Sam couldn't help it. She burst into laughter, along with the rest of the boys. Who cared if she looked ridiculous?

"Ready to go?" Peter inquired.

Sam nodded eagerly as she pulled herself to her feet. "Yep! As ready as I'll ever be!"

The group soon trudged out of the hideout in yet another single-file line from tallest to shortest. Little did Sam know that she wouldn't be seeing the place again for a very, very long time.

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><p>Sam couldn't help but marvel at the lush tropical forest that surrounded her. Although she had been in Neverland for a few weeks, and almost knew half the Island by heart, she still found herself in awe of the beautiful foliage.<p>

"Pretty, isn't it?" Sam was jolted out of her musings by Peter, who fell into step beside her. She nodded.

"I've never seen anything like it," she said, reaching down to pluck a hibiscus flower and placed it in her hair.

"Well, you sure haven't seen all of it!" Peter exclaimed, doing a flip in midair.

Sam scoffed. "And you say that like you've seen the world, Peter Pan," Sam teased with a smirk.

Peter looked offended. "Of course I have! I've travelled from one end of your world to the other. Everything else is boring compared to Neverland! I don't understand why people would want to live in such an icky place, when there are enough worlds for everyone to live in!"

Sam was taken aback. "Worlds? You speak as if you have been to more than just Earth and Neverland."

"Oh yeah, there are a whole bunch of other places out there!" Slightly cut in abruptly. "There's Neverland, Nowhereland, the DHARMA island, Narnia, Middle-Earth, and-"

"Wait, WHAT?" Sam exclaimed in shock. "You did NOT just say Narnia and Middle-Earth!"

Peter cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, he did. Why, have you been there before?"

"In my dreams!" Sam cried enthusiastically. "I've always wanted to go to Middle-Earth! And Narnia!"

"Um," Peter replied, clearly confused at Sam's rambling. "Maybe I'll take you to both sometime. There isn't much in either place, besides a bunch of grown-ups. They're always too busy to notice us anyway."

"Maybe I can go someday," Sam murmured wistfully, closing her eyes and imagining all the adventures awaiting her. It was truly glorious living in Neverland, with no parents, no one to tell her what to eat or when to sleep. The boys were the most delightful children she had ever met, and Peter… Well, Peter was something else. It was quite obvious that she liked him, but Sam wondered if her felt the same affection for her, and fully understood it. After all, was this not the time in life when boys became men, and discovered the women around them? Sam hoped she was right about Peter Pan…

* * *

><p>As leaves crunched softly under Peter's steady footfalls, the boy noticed that Sam had fallen silent a few moments ago. He took this time to ponder the queer things that had happened before Sam had arrived in Neverland. She has taken to the reality of being surrounded by boys quite well. Of course there were other girls who had come to Neverland. Molly, Wendy, Jane, and Margaret had been great friends, but they were all different in one way or another. Molly had been there when it all began, when Peter received the gifts of immortality and flight and became Peter Pan, thanks to the starstuff which had brought them to Neverland. She had been quite pretty, with long, light brown hair and luminescent green eyes, but she had been more of a friend, a partner in crime if you will.<p>

Wendy, of course, being motherly, had cared for the boys with unconditional love, and was not too bad of a fighter. When she was in Neverland, Peter felt something strange, but he could not put his finger on what it was. Whatever the case, Peter had loved her, but as a mother more than... Well, whatever she was expecting. However, when she 'thimbled' him (Peter had since learned the real word for it, but could not bring himself to think of that detestable word), she had demonstrated something he had never known in his life: love. It was a sickly grown up thing, but yet he liked it. It filled him with a strange tingling_ something_, and energized him. It felt wonderful and detestable at the same time, clearing his mind and jumbling it all at once.

Jane had been the first Lost Girl, there was no denying that. The spitfire of a girl had been some of the most fun he had ever known. Peter was incredibly sad when she had to leave and go back to London. What depressed him even more was seeing Wendy- _his_ Wendy- with her HUSBAND, just as Hook had predicted that fateful day on the Jolly Roger when Wendy had given Peter her... Her hidden kiss.

Peter had been so filled with jealousy and sorrow that he couldn't bear to watch. As he hurried back to Neverland, he waited for what seemed like ages for the darkness in his mind to pass. Neverland fell into an icy winter which kept the Boys inside the hideout day and night. Tinkerbell went to stay in Pixie Hollow for a while until Peter recovered from his heart sickness. It was about this time Charlie arrived in Neverland, and no one could have predicted how much damage he would cause to the beautiful island.

After much pondering, Peter resolved to go back to earth, where he met a small, starving girl named Margaret. She told Peter that her mother, who had been Jane, had died in a train wreck. Margaret had been stripped of everything she knew and not even allowed into the orphanage, since it was already full.

Taking pity on the poor girl, Peter brought her to Neverland, and she slowly but surely gained back strength. The color returned to her pallid checks, and her body became slightly pudgier. It was then that the oldest of the boys, Curly, second only to Peter, began to have feelings for the young girl. This angered Peter, for he forbade any feelings of that awful sort between the boys and girls, who were not allowed to grow up.

One night, Margaret and Curly convinced Tink to take them back to earth so they could grow up. Tinkerbell gladly obliged, whisking them off to the other world immediately. When Peter found out about their treachery, he was infuriated. But before he could go after them, Charlie revolted and became Claw. Peter, and the rest of the Lost Boys engaged in a war with Claw that stretched across Neverland. By the time Claw was temporarily subdued, Curly and Margaret had grown up and were married with an infant daughter: Samantha.

Peter watched the small family like a hawk. They completely forgot about him, and Neverland, and seemed to have eyes only for each other and Samantha, whom they doted on, with every kind of wonderful thing the world could offer. But these wonderful parents had one fatal flaw which eventually destroyed them: alcohol. The beastly liquid caused them to go borderline insane, morphing and twisting them until the two adults had become nothing more than shells of what they used to be; their minds immersed in a drunken stupor.

It was one icy night that they were involved in an automobile accident. Samantha's car seat was wedged behind the driver, Curly's seat. The tiny wailing baby tore at Peter's heart in her distress, and without allowing himself to be seen, Peter rescued the child from the smoking remains of the vehicle. Peter had no idea what to do with her. He couldn't bring her to Neverland with him, for he had no idea how to raise up someone so little. After much contemplating and debating, he brought her to an orphanage, where he left the child on the doorstep and hurried back to Neverland.

"Peter, are you alright?"

Peter jumped in surprise, and realized that they had reached the waterfall. He had been nervously massaging his hands. Sam gazed up at him, concerned.

"Um, yeah I'm fine," he lied. Sam cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly, but didn't say any more of the matter.

"Sam, look!" the twins cried, tugging Sam to the top of the waterfall. The girl gasped in surprise at the sheer drop before her. Peter laughed at her hilarious expression, quickly forgetting his previous forlorn thoughts.

"It's enormous!" Sam cried, then began to shake. "I, uh, think I'll just climb down there and swim at the bottom."

"Oh no you don't!" Peter cried, and zoomed behind her. Before she could even turn her head, Peter pushed her over the edge and made a loop in the air.

Sam screamed at the top of her lungs as she fell to the lake below. The boys laughed hysterically at the shrill shriek, Peter included.

_SPLASH!_ Peter could have sworn that the water rose at least ten feet in the air, however high ten feet was.

Sam soon rose to the surface, a scowl painted on her face. In strong contrast, Peter grinned down at her triumphantly. One by one, the rest of the Lost Boys plunged down into the lake, causing waves of varying sizes to erupt from the water. Peter, last of all, gave himself over to gravity and dove into the clear blue water.

Rising to the top, he shook some of the water out of his blonde hair and surveyed the small crystalline lake around him. It had been a long time since he and the boys hadn't done this, and the cool water felt glorious on his skin. Pulling off his shirt, he tossed it onto the bank and let himself float for a few moments, the grin never leaving his face.

"OI!" he cried suddenly, and something grabbed his ankle, pulling him underwater. He struggled for a moment before resurfacing... and then saw Sam's laughing countenance.

"That's for waking me up early this morning!" she giggled, and then pulled him underwater a second time. "And that's for pushing me over the waterfall!"

Sam dunked Peter a third time. "And that's just cause I felt like it."

A childish light filled Peter's eyes and he skimmed his arm in a circle across the water, spraying Sam.

She gave him a challenging look. "Oh it's on!" She pushed an enormous wave of water towards him, and then ducked below the surface.

Peter, recognizing the trick, pulled her up and greeted her with a splash in the face. Spluttering, she swam to another end of the lake and used both hands to push a wave towards Peter. The rest of the boys caught on with the game, and began assaulting each other with water.

The group continued on like this for some time, splashing and diving at random times, until they grew tired and the sun began to sink on the horizon. Sam was the first to clamber out onto the rocks, her skin starting to become wrinkled like a raisin.

"Oh, wow I'm exhausted!" she sighed heavily, resting her head against a vine. The late afternoon sun coated her skin in its golden rays, quickly drying everything except her hair.

The boys soon grew tired of playing in the water and staggered out, dizzy from spinning in circles. Each one lay down on the soft grass, soon falling asleep to the sounds of tropical birds in the jungle.

Peter suddenly remembered his thoughts on the way to the lake. He had promised Sam information regarding her heritage, but it totally slipped his mind in all the fun. And now, seeing how peaceful she was sunbathing on the rocks, he wasn't sure he wanted to dampen her glorious day with the depressing story of her family.

_But a promise is a promise_, he thought. _She deserves to know, and I told her that I would tell her. But should I say it here and now? I may forget about it later on, and yet she looks so happy that I would hate to ruin everything for her._

Peter strode over to Sam, who was quickly dozing off, and sat on a rock in front of her.

"Hey Sam?"

Sam opened one eye. "Yeah, Peter? What's up?" she replied drowsily.

Peter's face suddenly turned grave. "There's, uh, something I need to tell you, though you might not like it."

She frowned and sat up. "What's that?"

_CRACK! _

Before Peter could respond, the two of them whipped their heads towards the trees. Peter felt his heart beat wildly, the thrill of coursing through him like wildfire.

Sam's heart thumped in her chest as well, but more out of fear than amusement. Her eyes flashed every which way, and she tensed, waiting for something to pop out of the jungle.

A lone, tall figure stepped out of the forest, and Sam felt her heart plummet with dread.

The figure was none other than Captain Claw, himself.


	8. Chapter 7: Battle

**Hello again, my beautiful lovely readers! **

**Thanks to those who are reading this! Love you guys! Best readers EVER! *gives virtual chocolate chip cookies***

**I strongly suggest you listen to the song "Battle" by Chris August before reading this chapter. I kinda had it mind when I wrote this part of the story, and it goes along with the theme of this chappie! :)**

**Oh, I almost forgot! I'm so incredibly sorry for the late updates! In my defense, when we came home from vacation over the summer we had an inch of standing water under our sink, and it was all black :P. So, we are remodeling our entire kitchen, and therefore my mom doesn't have time or energy to read this story before I post it. Plus, now that school has started again, I have ALOT of homework on my hands :(. **

**So anyways, here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan. I do own Sam, though. And the evilly malicious Captain Claw (MUAHAHAHA!)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

**Battle**

Sam rose to her feet in shock as a million questions coursed through her mind like wildfire. _How did that beast get here? What does he want this time?- other than Peter's head? _

"Hello, Poppet," he said to Sam, approaching her slowly. She backed away, feeling herself teetering dangerously close to the edge of the lake.

"What do you want, Claw?" snarled Peter at the pirate before him, dark eyes ablaze with the lust for battle. Stepping between the man and Sam, Peter's fists were clenched and ready to kick some pirate butt.

"What I've always desired, _boy_," Claw spat. "Revenge for me hook!" He brandished said fearsome weapon with a flourish.

Sam had never noticed until now how sharp the item had been until now. She turned to call the Lost Boys to their aid, but then realized that Claw's crew had surrounded the group of boys and now had them pinned down. A few of the ugly scoundrels bared their teeth at her like vicious creatures, revealing black, rotten teeth, if they had any at all. Biting her lower lip, Sam suddenly grasped the gravity of the situation: they were trapped, like wild animals. Quite frankly, she barely even knew how to defend herself, except for the extremely basic techniques Peter had taught her weeks ago on their first attack on the Pirates.

In a flash, Peter pulled out a blade and struck out at Claw. "Catch me if you can!" he laughed, levitating into the air.

Claw cried out in outrage. "Blast you, Peter Pan! Flying away like the coward you have always been!"

Abruptly, Peter paused in midair, an expression of shock plastered on his face. "Me? Coward? Oh Claw, have you gotten your faces mixed up again, _old man_? I could fight you with my eyes closed!"

"Prove it, cocky youth." The faintest flicker of a smile crossed Claw's face as he drew his sword, rotating it so that the sharp steel glinted in the fading sunlight.

Sam shuddered as she saw the evil grin on his face, and felt her stomach drop to her toes. _Oh crap. What does that mean? _

"Peter!" she exclaimed as she leaped between the two foes. Peter had just lunged to attack, but was able to halt in time to miss Sam. They gazed at her, baffled by her sudden outburst.

"What do you think you're doing? Get out of my way!" Peter snapped, eager to fight his long-time foe. "

"I'm saving your scrawny neck, that's what," Sam muttered under her breath. "This monster is trying to-"

"Shut up and move!" Peter interrupted, pushing Sam out of the way forcefully.

The brown haired girl fell to the ground, appalled by Peter's actions. Pulling herself to her feet, Sam watched in utter horror as the battle unfolded. True to his word, Peter had his eyes squeezed shut, yet still easily dodged Claw's blows. The pirate seemed to have absolutely no grace, for he was continuously striking out at Peter to no avail.

"Stop!" Sam yelled loudly, but her cry went unnoticed. The two assailants were too blinded by their hatred to even notice her, and this fact truly frightened her more than anything else.

"Cut it out!" She screamed yet again, circling the two. "You won't solve anything by going at each other like this! It's savage!"

"Look around yerself, lass!" Claw cried at her suddenly, startling Sam. "You're in a savage place! Why do ya expect its inhabitants to be any different?"

Sam paused to ponder this. _Does that mean I'm turning into a savage as well? _The thought disgusted her, but at the same time, something in the back of her mind confirmed this to be true.

"Peter, open your eyes!" she cried. "It's a trap! He's trying to kill you!"

"Kill me? He can't do that!" Peter laughed and launched himself into the air, eyes still shut. "Villains never win as long as there's faith and trust!"

"And Pixie dust, I get that," Sam said impatiently. "But-"

She was cut off when Claw suddenly leaped over and clamped his hand over her mouth. Sam tried to cry out, but her scream was quenched by the filthy palm over her lips.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Peter exclaimed, slashing the air in front of him. Then, he appeared to notice the muffled screams to his right, and opened his eyes.

Claw cackled. "Foolish, impudent boy! Did you really think that I would kill you that easily?"

"Let her go!" Peter screamed in rage at the laughing pirate. "Let Sam go before I kill you!"

"Oh, and how would you do that?" Claw taunted. "I have fifty armed men at my command, and I hold the love of your life at the tip of my blade. So, it's your choice Pan: either I kill you without a fight, or I slip my blade between your girlfriend's ribs and kill her if you try to rescue her." As if to emphasize his point, Claw pressed the blade of his sword against Sam's throat, nearly puncturing her skin.

"Kill her, see if I care," Peter said, waving a hand.

Sam's brown eyes widened in shock and horror. _How could he…_ there were no words to describe her enraged emotions. A wave of despair seemed to crash over her body, and her heart sank.

"Make your choice, Pan," Claw said impatiently. "Would you rather die as a hero or a coward?"

"Me? Coward?" Peter's eyes narrowed to slits. "_No one _calls Peter Pan a coward!" He dove towards Claw, ready to slash him to ribbons. Only problem was, Sam stood in his way. She struggled against Claw's grip, fighting hard not to let a single tear fall down her face. In a last attempt to free herself, Sam kicked her right leg backwards, hitting Claw right in the groin. The pirate doubled over in pain, and Sam squirmed out of his grip.

"Peter!" she cried. "Stop this right now! You're freaking me out, turning into some sort of rage monster that you aren't!"

"And why should I listen to you?" Peter asked from his perch in the air. "You're just a girl! Girls don't belong in Neverland, because they always leave! You should know that better than anyone! Your mother-"

"My what?" Sam cut him off. "News flash, Peter: I don't have a mother! She died in a car accident when I was a little kid!"

"You never told her?" Claw asked from his position on the ground. "You brought her here to the place of her ancestors, and never even gave her a hint of her heritage?"

_Place of my ancestors? What the heck is he talking about? Does he mean… I'm Wendy Darling's descendent?_

"Sam, I tried to tell you!" Peter quickly interjected. "That's just what I was about to say when the pirates ambushed us! So I couldn't tell you!"

Sam's face hardened as the truth sunk in. "So you've been keeping this information from me this entire time? Peter, the whole reason I came here was because you promised to tell me! Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I've spent bawling because I didn't have a family of my own? How many hours I've searched all around, looking for the people who could have been my birth parents? And for what? Some boy to come take me to the place of my dreams by filling me with a false hope?"

"I'm- I'm sorry, Sam," Peter said quietly. "You've just been so happy lately, I couldn't bring myself to take that from you."

"That's still no reason to lie to me!" Sam cried. "I thought you were my friend, Peter! I-I thought I could have someone who could actually be honest to me for once in my life, and tell me what's going on."

"I'll tell you what's going on," Claw explained. "You are the great granddaughter of Wendy Darling, and the fifth of her line to come to this blasted place. Your mother was Margaret Darling, and was brought to Neverland because that boy," he gestured to Peter, "finally decided to get a heart for the needy. After getting fattened up here, she ran off back to earth with a Lost Boy named Curly. They had you, and died in a drunk driving accident. Now, Pan, why did you find it so hard so hard to tell her something as simple as that?"

Sam bit her lip as the information seeped in. _So not only am I Wendy Darling's descendent, I'm the daughter of a Lost Boy too. And they died from something as common as alcohol? I could've dealt with that easier than anything._

"Peter, people on earth die from alcohol all the time. It's very common. You should have told me!"

Peter frowned. "But then, once I told you, you would leave to grow up and never come back! All the girls do."

Sam turned thoughtful. "And what makes you think I'd do that?"

Claw rose behind her. "This does," he said, and plunged his sword through her stomach.

"SAM!" Peter screamed, but his voice seemed far away, as if her were yelling at her from across a field. Sam crumpled her knees, clutching the wound in her stomach.

She felt Peter rush to her side, scooping her into his arms. Sam gently brushed her fingers against his cheek, the light fading from her eyes. Tears streamed down Peter's face, and he hugged Sam tighter.

"I… thought… you said… you… didn't care," she choked, spraying blood on his face. Peter felt his stomach tie into knots as he remembered his words.

"That was just an act, Sam,," he said. "I never meant for him to go this far."

Sam nodded slowly. "But he did, Peter. And… now… I'm dying. But I want you to promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"I… want you to go back to my old house on earth. Leave a note there telling my family that I won't be coming back. Don't give them details… just say that I won't be seeing them again."

Peter nodded in understanding. "I will."

"Good."

The last thing Sam saw was Peter's face above her before the whole world turned to pure white.


	9. Chapter 8: The Avengers of Neverland

**School stinks, Missions Trip in two days, and slipped out of the writing mood. Nuff said. **

**And I don't own Peter Pan. Sorry that this chapter isn't edited. I'm posting this with my phone (again :P)**

**Chapter Eight**

**The Avengers of Neverland**

Peter stared down at the limp form in his arms. Hot tears flooded down his cheeks, blurring his vision. A wave of emotions crashed over his soul… anger, hatred, and sorrow. They consumed him, burning him from the inside out.

_She's… gone. _The reality slammed him in the gut. _Sam's dead. But… why her? Why did she have to be the one to die?_

Peter lifted his eyes to face the malicious pirate in front of him. A wicked grin played across Claw's face. And that only made Peter hate him all the more.

"You… You killed her," he croaked. "She's dead. And it's all your fault, you beast."

Claw scoffed. "_My _fault? Oh, foolish, insolent boy. When will you ever understand reason?"

Peter's eyes narrowed to slits. "What do you mean?"

"_You_ are the one who brought her here," Claw explained. "_You _put her in harm's way by luring her here with the promise of a false hope. _You, _boy, were selfish and kept her here, blinding her with the one thing she wants most. Why should she stay here, with a liar?"

Claw's words seemed to strike a chord inside Peter. _He's right. I did do all those things to Sam. I should've told her in the first place. And now, because of me, she's dead._

"It's all a bit tragic, isn't it?" Claw continued. "The great Peter Pan, every child's dream, responsible for the death of a poor, innocent girl."

That was the last straw. "Me? Tragic?" Peter rose to his feet, laying Sam's corpse gently on the ground. "Old man, I think you're getting your cards all wrong."

Turning, Peter noticed the rest of the Lost Boys, who were now tied together in a circle. He could see the traces of tears on their cheeks, but they gazed at him with hope flickering in their eyes. He knew they would have to sit this one out today.

"You're gonna pay for this, Claw!" Nibs yelled, nodding towards Sam's body. "Peter will lick ya real good!"

Claw rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Shut up," he muttered, but the Boys still heard him.  
>"You'll never win!" Slightly taunted. "Not as long as there's faith, trust, and…" he trailed off, as if forgetting something.<br>Peter grinned despite the situation. "Pixie Dust," he finished. As if on cue, Tinkerbelle came flitting out of what looked like nowhere. A fierce expression was painted across her tiny face, and she flew this way and that, sprinkling pixie dust over the Lost Boys and Peter. The children lifted into the air, whooping and hollering.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the girl is dead," Claw exclaimed, knowing full well that the power of the Pixie Dust lie in happy thoughts.

Peter seemed to consider this a moment from his perch in the air. "Well, if we can't save Sam, you can be darn sure we'll avenge her!" He was met with loud cheers. Even Tinkerbelle seemed to be excited to avenge the death of the girl she had befriended.

Quickly slashing the ropes from around the Boys, Peter allowed them to take down Claw's men. Most of the pirates just dove into the waters in fear, only to drown minutes later. The ones who were brave enough to stay on solid ground were soon being attacked by Lost Boys.

Peter dove to attack Claw head-on. The pirate held up his sword to block the incoming blow a second too late, and so Peter sliced a gash on his cheek. Enraged, Claw struck out at the boy, and the two were soon engaged in an all out battle.

"You're never going to win, Pan," Claw taunted. "Your ignorance and lust for battle have already cost one life. Do you really think it will do any good to take another?"

"I didn't kill Sam, Claw," Peter replied harshly. "You did. And now you're trying to kill me too." He paused. "It's not like there will be anything here if I die."

Claw's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon, Pan?" He aimed a rather harsh blow at Peter's head, which the boy easily dodged, laughing.

"Oh, foolish, insolent Claw," Peter exclaimed in a mock tone of the Pirate's voice. "When will you ever learn reason? I _am_Neverland. The whole place is connected to_me. _So, if I died, the world would die with me! And so would you!" he back flipped in the air and kicked Claw in the gut, knocking the wind out of the pirate.

_Tick_

_ Tock_

_ Tick_

_ Tock_

_ Tick_

_ Tock_

The pirate paled. "No," he whispered, and his eyes fell to the hook on his stump of a hand. "NO!"

"Hey, mister crocodile," Peter asked the green lizard in the water. "Do you like the taste of fresh pirate?" The crocodile poked its head out of the water, and Peter almost thought he could see it bob its head up and down in excitement.

"Well here ya go!" Peter said, and kicked Claw again in the gut. The pirate staggered backwards before falling off the riverbank… right into the waiting jaws of the crocodile.

The boys behind him cheered in delight, and Peter breathed a steady sigh of relief. _Finally, _after all those years of fighting, their enemy was vanquished.

"Peter, what do we do about Sam?" the boy turned and saw the rest of the Lost Boys gathered around Sam's body. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he bit his tongue so he wouldn't burst out crying.

"I… don't know," he choked. "I guess we should bury her, but I don't know where."

"She needs a proper funeral," Slightly exclaimed. "She was our mother, and deserves a respectful burial."

Peter nodded gravely. "You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up with you." The boys and Tinkerbelle disappeared into the forest without another word.

As they strode off into the woods, Peter felt yet another wave of sorrow crash over him. He pulled Sam's cold, lifeless body into his lap and stroked her hair, tears flooding down his cheeks.

_Why did she have to die? _He asked himself. _Why? _He pressed his forehead against hers, shaking with sobs. Peter sat there for what seemed like hours, crying until he was hoarse.

_They all leave one way or another, _he concluded. _Every single girl that came to Neverland has left me here with nothing but faded memories. Or, in Wendy's case, a kiss._

Peter's eyes flashed open. _A kiss!_When Wendy was in Neverland, she had told him and the boys the story of… Snow White? He couldn't remember it off the top of his head. However, he did remember the girl taking a bite of an apple that was poisoned, and dropping down dead. But when the Prince came along, he gave her a kiss and brought her back to life. He had never really paid attention to that part until now.

_Well, it's worth a try, _Peter thought._After all, it saved that princess. Why shouldn't it save Sam? She's pretty much a princess, or at least to me she is._

Without hesitation, Peter leaned down and gently pressed his lips against Sam's cold, pale ones. Closing his eyes, he wished upon every star he could think of in the galaxy that Sam would wake up and come back to life.

When she didn't awake, Peter tried again, this time kissing the girl a little harder and longer. Still, nothing.

"Wake up, Sam," he whispered, shaking her body gently. "Wake up! Please."

He pressed his lips against hers a third time, wishing with every once in his being that she would open her eyes. He felt tears in his eyes again, and did his best to hold them down.

Suddenly, he felt the faintest touch on his cheek. Feeling hope rise in his chest Peter kissed Sam harder. He felt something touch his cheek this time, only now it was warmer and firmer. A hand. _Sam's _hand.

Opening his eyes, Peter pulled away, gasping with relief. Sam's eyes fluttered open as well, and her brown irises widened in joy when she saw Peter's face above her.

"We're alive," she breathed softly. "_I'm_alive!" Then a look of confusion spread across her face. "You're the only one who kissed me, right?"

"Yes!" Peter cried, standing up and lifting her into his arms. A smile as wide as the sunset spread across his face. "You're alive!"

Utter complete happiness consumed him. Peter tilted back his head and laughed, twirling and spinning. He felt dizzy, but he could care less. One thought coursed through his mind: _Sam was alive._

Sam grinned. "You can put me down now," she said. Peter realized that he was spinning and leaping in the air, with her in his arms.

"Oh, um, sorry," he said, and lowered himself to the ground. Sam leaped out of his grasp.

"I think the-" he began, but was cut short by Sam whirling around and kissing him- hard. He smiled in contentment and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," she whispered. Peter laughed.

"Good to see you're back, Sam," he grinned. "Now, you have a family to get to. I'm sure the Lost Boys are worried sick by now. They need to know you're safe."

"Oh, yeah, them," Sam's grinned widened. "Hate to leave them hanging, now wouldn't we?" Peter laughed again, his joy spreading through the forest like wildfire. The clouds in the night sky were chased away by the silvery blue moonlight, which seemed to light a path for the two children to make it back to the hideout. The stars came back out into the sky, and seemed to shine all the brighter.

Peter was convinced that he had never been so happy in his life. Sam was living, breathing, _laughing! _And that thought alone brought something else into his mind:

Samantha Brown had found a place to belong. She would be Samantha of Neverland, the second Lost Girl.


	10. Epilogue

**I would like to thank each and every one of my readers personally. It's been a rough ride writing this story, but you guys have been here to support me and encourage me in my (rather terrible) writing. Thank you all. **

**On another note, I have begun the first pages of work on the sequel to this story. I have it all outlined and everything, and I can't wait to begin! Unfortunately, I wil not have much time for anything but schoolwork until the end of May, but hopefully I'll make time to begin the first chapters. We will be meeting some... Old and new friends, as well as explore other places in Neverland. If you have any suggestions or characters you want to add, feel free to shoot me a PM or review. **

**I hope you enjoy this final chapter of the story. I don't own Peter Pan. **

* * *

**Epilogue**

Days passed, and Sam slowly recovered from her stab wound. Occasionally, it would flare up and cause her pain, but in little more than a week, with some reluctant help from Tinkerbelle, it was barely noticeable.

Life shifted back to normal, or as normal as it could be without any pirates on the Island. Sam visited Tiger Lily regularly, and the two of them became almost inseparable. The whole group nearly forgot about the whole episode with Claw, except for Sam, who was reminded of it every time she saw the scar on her belly. It would never fully heal, that was for sure. Every once in a while, Sam would have horrid stomach pains, but Tink would use some of her magic to help her sleep until the pain dulled.

Peter did his best not to think about the day that Sam decided she had to go home. The thought lingered in the back of his mind like an annoying scar, and would not go away no matter how hard he tried to dismiss it.

Finally he couldn't stand it anymore. He woke Sam one morning before sunrise to ask her if she had been thinking the same thing he had. As the two sat on the beach watching the sunrise, Peter felt the question burning until he had to spit it out.

"Are you going to leave?" he asked. Sam turned to him in astonishment.

"What?"

"Are you going to leave Neverland?" he asked again. "All the girls that come here just leave and grow up. Even Wendy did… twice."

"What kind of question is that?" Sam scoffed. "Why would I leave? I love it here! There's miles to explore, there's Indians and there's the Lost Boys… and there's you." She kissed him on the cheek.

Normally Peter would have blushed at her comment, but the thought of Sam deciding one day to leave was too harsh for him to bear. He bit his lip and turned to her.

"Why don't you want to leave?" he asked. "Don't you want to go and grow up, get a family, and live happily ever after?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Pffft, grow up. If I did that, it would only mean more stress, more bills, more responsibilities that society presses me to. And for what? Grow old and die? Of course, I would be in heaven, but to leave the ones I love in death? No way."

"Are you sure?" Peter asked. "You have a family who loves you, a nice home-"

"Peter," Sam cut him off, taking his hand into hers and locking his eyes. "I am home. And I have a family. I have you, the boys, even Tinkerbelle with all her mad antics. And to tell you the truth," she paused. "I'm afraid to grow up. I just want to stay here, and live with you guys." The two of them exchanged a brief kiss as the fiery orange sun rose over the horizon.

"We'd better get going," Peter mused as he pulled away. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, the boys must be really hungry," she replied, eyes roving the scenery around her. Sam rose and the two of them trudged into the forest.

Suddenly, the peak of a distant mountain caught her eye. "Peter?"

"What's up, Sam?"

She wrinkled her forehead. "You never told me what's behind those mountains."

"I didn't?" Peter considered this for a moment. "I suppose I should. That's Neverpeak. Behind it is Nowhereland, a place filled with dark and mysterious things." He shuddered. "And it brings back bad memories."

"Maybe it won't be so bad the second time around," Sam grinned mischievously.

Peter went pale. "You don't mean…"

Sam nodded. "Yep, I do. I wanna go exploring there someday in the not too distant future."

"I'll maybe think about it a long time from now," he said. "For now… can we just stick with here in Neverland?"

"Oh alright," Sam huffed. "After all, we have all the time in the world, right?" she winked. "I am- oh what was it you called me? Samantha of Neverland."


End file.
